The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise carried out by the Election Commission of India has resulted in the deletion of nearly 1.70 crore voters, representing a 7.93 per cent reduction across nine states and union territories where the updated rolls have been released.
The revision process involved verification of voter records, removal of duplicate entries, and deletion of names that could not be validated through documentation or matching with earlier electoral rolls. During the exercise, citizens were also allowed to submit applications for corrections, additions, and deletions.
Officials as per media reports stated that the objective of the SIR exercise was to improve the accuracy and integrity of electoral rolls ahead of upcoming elections.
Gujarat records highest reduction
Among the larger states, Gujarat recorded the sharpest decline in voter numbers. The state witnessed a 13.4 per cent reduction, with 68.12 lakh voters removed from the electoral rolls.
The total electorate in Gujarat declined from 5.08 crore to 4.40 crore, making it the state with the highest number of deletions during the SIR exercise.
Several other large states also witnessed substantial reductions in voter numbers.
Madhya Pradesh recorded 34.35 lakh deletions, bringing the electorate down from 5.74 crore to 5.39 crore, representing a 5.96 per cent decline.
Rajasthan saw 31.36 lakh names removed, reducing its voter base from 5.46 crore to 5.15 crore, a decline of 5.74 per cent.
Chhattisgarh experienced a sharper proportional fall of 11.77 per cent, with 24.99 lakh names deleted, bringing the total electorate down from 2.12 crore to 1.87 crore.
Kerala recorded the smallest decline among the major states. The voter list fell by 8.97 lakh names, a 3.22 per cent decrease, reducing the electorate from 2.78 crore to 2.69 crore.
Goa witnessed a 10.76 per cent decline, with 1.27 lakh voters removed from the rolls.
Changes in Union Territories
Among the union territories, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands recorded the largest proportional decline. The voter list fell by 16.87 per cent, with 52,364 names deleted, reducing the electorate from 3.10 lakh to 2.58 lakh.
Puducherry saw a 7.5 per cent reduction, with 77,367 voters removed.
Lakshadweep recorded only a marginal decline of 206 voters, representing a 0.36 per cent decrease.
When Bihar, where the SIR exercise was conducted earlier ahead of Assembly elections is included, the total number of deletions rises to 2.16 crore voters, representing a 7.37 per cent decline overall.
Bihar’s electorate declined from 7.89 crore in June 2024 to 7.43 crore in September 2024 after the revision exercise.
Rolls yet to be released in key states
Electoral rolls for several key states are still awaited.
Tamil Nadu is expected to release its revised rolls shortly, while West Bengal will publish the lists in phases. Uttar Pradesh is scheduled to release its updated electoral rolls on April 6.
In Assam, the Election Commission conducted a Special Revision instead of SIR due to legal issues related to the incomplete NRC process.
The final electoral roll shows 2.49 crore voters, compared to 2.52 crore in the draft list. During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the state had 2.45 crore registered voters.
During the revision process, voter names were removed in cases where:
Required documentation was not provided
Duplicate entries were detected
Individuals could not be matched with earlier rolls
Records were found to be inaccurate
Officials said the exercise is aimed at ensuring that electoral rolls remain accurate and transparent.
